The film is set in June 1905; the protagonists of the film are the members of the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin, a battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet. Eisenstein divided the plot into five acts, each with its own title: =Act I: People and worms= The scene begins with two sailors, Matyushenko and Vakulinchuk (Aleksandr Antonov (actor)), discussing the need for the crew of the Potemkin to support the revolution taking place within Russia. While the Potemkin is anchored off the island of Tendra, off-duty sailors are sleeping in their bunks. As an officer inspects the quarters, he stumbles and takes out his aggression on a sleeping sailor. The ruckus causes Vakulinchuk to awake, and he gives a speech to the men as they come to. Vakulinchuk says, “Comrades! The time has come when we too must speak out. Why wait? All of Russia has risen! Are we to be the last?” The scene cuts to morning above deck, where sailors are remarking on the poor quality of the meat for the crew. The meat appears to be rotten and covered in worms, and the sailors remark that “even a dog wouldn’t eat this!” The ship’s doctor, Smirnov, is called over to inspect the meat by the captain. Rather than worms, the doctor says that the insects are maggots, and they can be washed off prior to cooking. The sailors further complain about the poor quality of the rations, but the doctor declares the meat edible and ends the discussion. Senior officer Giliarovsky forces the sailors still looking over the rotten meat to leave the area, and the cook begins to prepare borscht although he too questions the quality of the meat. The crew uses to eat the borscht, instead choosing bread and water, and canned goods. While cleaning dishes, one of the sailors sees an inscription on a plate, which reads “give us this day our daily bread.” After considering the meaning of this phrase, the sailor smashes the plate and the scene ends. =Act II: Drama on the deck= All those who use the meat are judged guilty of insubordination and instantly brought to the edge of the bridge where they receive religious rites reserved for death row inmates. In front of the firing squad none of them show remorse, convinced that what they are doing is right. The captain gave the order to open fire, but the soldiers in the firing squad lower their guns and the uprising begins. The sailors are poorly armed but outnumber the officers, which allows them to also take control of the ship. The officers are killed and the doctor is thrown into the water. =Act III: The dead man calls out= The mutiny is successful but many of the sailors are killed in battle, including Vakulinčuk, the charismatic leader of the rebels who took possession of the ship. The Potemkin arrives at the port of Odessa. Vakulincuk’s body is taken ashore and displayed publicly by his companions in a tent with a sign on his chest that says “Dead for a spoonful of soup.” The sailors gather to make a final farewell and praise Vakulinčuk as a hero. The people of Odessa welcome the sailors, but they attract the attention of the Tsarist police. =Act IV: The Odessa steps= The Cossack host of the Tsar arrive at Odessa in retaliation and march toward the unarmed crowd with their rifles. The people run away, but the Cossacks shoot men, women, and defenseless children. The scene has become famous: the soldiers are only shown through details that make them impersonal, inflexible (their boots marching and stomping the victims, their guns firing), while the people of Odessa fall in extremely violent ways. The soldiers show no sign of wanting to stop the massacre. The sailors of the Potemkin then decide to shoot at them with the guns of the battleship. Meanwhile, there is news that a fleet of ships in the harbor of the Tsar is coming to quell the revolt of Potemkin. =Act V: One against all= The sailors of the Potemkin decide to go all the way and lead the battleship from the port of Odessa to face the fleet of the Tsar. Just when the battle seems inevitable, the sailors of the Tsarist ships incredibly use to open fire on their comrades, externalizing with songs and shouts of joy their solidarity with the mutineers and allowing them to pass unmolested through the fleet, waving the Red flag (politics).